Think there's nothing worse than coronavirus on a plane? Think again.
There's a new trend in town and many are not happy about it.
That ritual? 'Slammertime' – skulling your flute of champagne whilst sitting at the pointy end of a plane.
Far from an empty hedonistic gesture, its proponents say it fires a socio-political shot across the suite.
The creator of 'slammertime' anonymously told DMARGE that 'slammertime' started as a gentle f*ck you to the pointy end snobs of the world (as well as just "a huge amount of fun").
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"The whole thing of slammers started when I had never flown in business class and felt heavily judged and profiled for how I dressed, acted and behaved. I don’t think there should be a stigma about nice things. How many people have walked into a really nice restaurant or hotel and felt profiled?"
"This shouldn’t be the case and it’s a bit of fun trying to break down classist boundaries which I don’t think should exist. The behaviour is light-hearted and fun and brings us as everyday people together. I must get sent hundreds of videos each week from people of all backgrounds doing a slammer on a plane or at home, and it’s just a fun thing. Similar to perhaps doing a round of shots on a night out."
Perth-based travel blogger and owner of Flight Hacks Immanuel Debeer, who was alerted to the trend by a friend, told DMARGE 'slammertime' has also come to represent "an extra large middle finger to those that report travellers to authorities when they assume rules have been broken" (speaking in reference to the 'flight snitching' trend of late) and "the only morale booster these days."
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Canadian travel hacker Spencer Giles, who "was introduced to ['slammertime'] by people on Instagram," said part of the attraction was the reaction.
"It's entertaining when you get a sudden eye roll or reaction from an elite frequent flyer on board in first or business class cabins. Its something we look forward to and will continue to do so on all our trips when possible."
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Sydney University professor of sociology Robert Van Krieken told DMARGE he sympathised with the critics of 'slammertime.'
"From a distance, tasteless and tone-deaf sounds pretty right to me," Van Krieken said.
"I’ve always regarded business-class as the stuck-up elites, I don’t know what first-class even is, I thought that went out with the Filofax..."
When asked what his response would be to 'slammertime' detractors (generally, not specifically in reference to the criticism above), the 'slammertime' founder said, "I would personally never judge anyone for their actions as long as they are not acting like a Knobhead and in good moral faith. It’s harmless and demonstrates a lot more about how others should look at themselves if they feel the necessity to judge some people having some totally innocent fun."
"I’m a peasant myself. I’ve worked hard to get to where I am, and none of us should be judged for not harming anyone. That’s a really negative trait of a person if they judge someone I feel for that."
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A Qantas flight attendant told DMARGE she sees two sides to 'slammertime.'
"I’m really unsure of the 'slammertime' trend. I mean I see a lot of people drinking too much and mixing drinks with sleeping pills... it never ends well. It’s a plane not a restaurant. People should remember that and respect flight attendants."
However, she also said, "I definitely wouldn’t see it as rude. Airlines such as Qantas pride themselves on making customers feel welcome and at home... many people are excited and paid a large amount to fly. I personally love a few bubbles with arriving on board a business class flight."
"However common sense must prevail. And customers must remember it’s not a bar. There’s a time and place for getting smashed and a plane is not it. So knowing when to stop and acknowledging the demands that air travel has on the body is really important."
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Image: Immanuel Debeer[/caption]
Whatever your take on the trend, once travel gets back to normal, expect the hashtag (there are currently 2,612 Instagram posts with the hashtag 'slammertime') to grow.
As frequent flyer Debeer told DMARGE earlier this year, “I’ve… added the compulsory slammer to my pre-departure checklist.”
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While DMARGE would like to warn against the risks of lazily generalisations like "elites" and "the media" we can't help but feel our hearts warmed by the irreverent 'slammertime' trend.
Our only mild suspicion would be 'slammertime' seems low key engineered to boost social media engagement rather than being 100% an organic lightbulb moment. But hey: the two things don't have to be mutually exclusive (and that's just our opinion).
Even if you disagree with the sheer excess of business class (a fair objection to make, but not one we have time to get into here), those doing 'slammertime' are not wasting any more resources than the other business class passengers – they are just doing it in a more conspicuous way.
What will happen next to 'slammertime'? Watch this (air) space.
Read Next
- Why Flying First Class Is Actually More Stressful Than Flying Business
- Airline Responds To ‘Naughty’ First Class Behaviour In Cruellest Way Possible
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The post Business Class ‘Slammertime’ Ritual Sparks Outrage At 40,000ft appeared first on DMARGE.
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